The lead-up to a surprise engagement photoshoot begins with several conversations between me and the person proposing. Lucio and I talked about where the proposal would take place, what he’d be wearing, the exact time of arrival, where he’d be coming from and the cues that I wanted for him to let me know he was going to drop down on one knee. These moments happen just once in a relationship so I go all out in ensuring the person proposing feels comfortable in knowing exactly what’s going to happen.
For this engagement, there were 11(!) family members waiting for the big moment. They helped set up a beautiful blanket with a customized champagne bottle, themed flutes and a gorgeous bouquet of roses. Once they saw Lucio pulling up, they hilariously scrambled and tried to blend into different areas of the park (pic below of this moment!)
I waited in the open, pretending to take pictures of birds as the couple got closer (side note: I always feel funny doing this, as if it’s so obvious what I’m there for and the soon-to-be bride will easily discover me!). When they approached the spot, I was relentless on the shutter button and it was only after Lucio popped the question that Gabbi noticed that a photographer was capturing the whole thing!
About the couple:
When did they meet?
Lucio and Gabbi met in their doctorate of physical therapy program in 2018.
Who made the first move?
Gabbi slid in the DMs first
What happened next?
They started dating about 10 months after they met and up until April 2021 were doing long distance as Gabbi stayed in Tampa and Lucio was in Ft. Meyers.
When did Lucio decide to propose?
At the end of 2020 he said he was ready. Gabbi had previously mentioned that a long engagement didn’t bother her, so proposing in July and waiting until they finish their program was the plan!
Why St. Pete?
Lucio said it was a good in between location for both families to come together and along with a great restaurant (Cassis) nearby after, he had a whole night planned beyond the engagement.
Final thoughts from Lucio
”Hands down, the most challenging part was keeping it all a secret from Gab. Planning and coordinating with so many people without letting her know or tipping her off was not easy.
The most amazing thing about the whole night was how perfectly everything fell into place within minutes of us arriving to the parking lot of North Shore Park. As we circled the packed lot, a truck pulled out allowing me to snag a spot, the park itself that was extremely crowded 15 min earlier suddenly cleared, and most importantly the weather that had been so nasty and rainy all week long but it held up for the entire night. Truly a night to remember!”
Cheers to Gabbi and Lucio!
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And finally, don’t miss the expert level hiding by the family as they saw Gabbi and Lucio pull up .
Everyone but the dog-walking couple was waiting for the big moment!
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